Jay_z_where_im_from -

: He balances the bravado of the drug trade with the bleak reality of its consequences, famously stating, "I'm from where the hammer's rung / News cameras never come."

: "Rock Box" by Run-D.M.C. (the scratchy, distorted guitar and beat elements).

: It contains some of the most iconic opening bars in hip-hop history: "I'm from where the grass don't grow / There's a lot of trash and the trash is slow."

The song acts as a tour guide through the harsh realities of 1980s and 90s inner-city life:

: The hook samples his own line from "Young G's" ( "Cough up a ticket, where I'm from..." ), a technique of self-referencing that became a Jay-Z staple.